NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter:3
The reason for the Sand Village's dominance in puppetry was simple: advanced knowledge of puppeteering was exclusive to the village.
Puppetry was a profession pioneered by the Second Kazekage and perfected over the past three decades. Other villages had only managed to acquire basic knowledge of the craft, leaving the Sand Village as the sole powerhouse in puppeteering.
"He graduated from the elite class of the Ninja Academy under Jonin Momi, who specializes in Wind Style ninjutsu. There's no way he was taught this level of puppetry," Ishito continued as he reported to Ebizo.
"Even if he had some guidance, achieving such mastery at his age is remarkable. His potential is boundless."
Ebizo, stroking his gray beard thoughtfully, asked, "Do you intend to transfer him to your Sixth Squad?"
"Yes, Elder Ebizo. Two years ago, Konoha's White Fang annihilated over 70% of the puppeteers in our squad, and we haven't fully recovered. When I saw someone with this level of talent, I had to act," Ishito replied earnestly.
Ebizo nodded. Such a genius was rare and worth cultivating.
"He's only two years older than Sasori," Ebizo murmured to himself. "Perhaps he could interact with him. Sasori has become increasingly withdrawn since losing his parents. It might be good for him."
After a pause, Ebizo continued, "I can't transfer him directly to your team. I'll include him in the new puppet training program. We'll select eighty promising puppeteers for intensive training. Which squad they join will be determined later by their performance."
One week after Hiriito submitted the repaired puppet, a formal notice arrived at his home.
"You have been accepted into the Puppet Brigade Training Program."
"Seize this opportunity," said his former team leader, Momi, a veteran Jonin in his fifties with a bandaged shoulder.
Momi had also retired from the frontlines due to injuries sustained in the Hidden Rain conflict. Despite his gruff demeanor, Momi had always shown care for his students.
"The Puppet Brigade is the pride of the Sand Village. Nearly every puppeteer who's reached Jonin rank in the past decade has come through this program," Momi explained.
"I'm not a puppeteer myself. My strengths lie in Wind Style ninjutsu and swordsmanship, so I could only help you so much. This is your chance to surpass me," Momi added, placing a form on the table.
Hiriito took the form with a bow. "Thank you, Sensei Momi."
"No need to thank me," Momi replied. "You have the potential to achieve greatness, but that's up to you. When you graduated, the battlefield was at its peak. At that time, our strongest puppeteers…"
Momi paused, a shadow crossing his face.
"What happened to them?" Hiriito asked curiously.
"Elder Chiyo entrusted the Puppet Brigade to her son and daughter-in-law—two of the village's most talented puppeteers. They were even considered candidates for the Fourth Kazekage. Unfortunately, they fell in battle against Konoha's White Fang, along with much of the brigade."
Momi shook his head solemnly. "Since then, rebuilding the brigade has been a slow process. The Jonin who were supposed to guide you were reassigned to the frontlines, leaving me to step in."
He patted Hiriito on the shoulder. "You've done well to make it this far. Keep moving forward."
That night, Hiriito sat at his desk, absently fiddling with puppet parts while watching the progress bar on his mysterious panel.
"Looks like my application to the Puppet Brigade training program has been approved," he thought.
The progress bar steadily climbed: 97%, 98%, 99%…
Finally, it reached 100% and reset to zero.
[System Updating…]
[New Features Unlocking…]
[Update Complete.]
Hiriito blinked as the panel's interface changed before his eyes. On the left side of the panel, a new sub-window appeared, displaying a three-dimensional image of himself.
"This… is a data chart of me?"
He examined the new section curiously.
[Name: Hiriito]
[Age: 11]
[Occupation: Ninja (Genin), Puppet Master]
[Attributes: Ninja: 4 | Body: 3 | Illusion: 3 | Wisdom: 5 | Strength: 3 | Speed: 4 | Precision: 4 | Seal: 5]
"The Eight Ninja Attributes…"
This method of assessing a ninja's abilities was widely used in the Academy. Each category represented a core aspect of a ninja's strength. While not perfect, the system provided a useful reference for evaluating one's overall skill.
With curiosity, Hiriito tapped the "Ninja" attribute with his mind. A sub-window popped up, displaying detailed branches:
[Wind Style Ninjutsu: Level 1 | Puppetry: Level 2]
"If that's all this update adds, it's not much help," Hiriito muttered, disappointed.
However, when he tapped on "Wind Style Ninjutsu," a list of the techniques he had mastered appeared:
- Wind Style: Gale Palm (C-Rank)
- Wind Style: Great Breakthrough (C-Rank)
"Interesting… I'll have to explore this more," Hiriito murmured, already planning how to use the panel's new functions.
(End of Chapter 3)